A chaotic scene developed at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium Saturday night after a controversial call took away an interception from the Longhorns, prompting fans to throw hundreds of bottles onto the field.
The incident occurred in the closing moments of the third quarter. Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron intercepted Carson Beck and returned the ball inside the Georgia 10-yard line. However, a flag was thrown on the play, and after a quick conference, the officials ruled that Barron was guilty of pass interference, which nullified the penalty.
Texas fans were immediately and justifiably outraged by the call, especially since it was clear from the replay that Georgia receiver Arian Smith had initiated the contact with Barron. The boos lasted a while but then turned into something more as the crowd began throwing dozens of bottles on the field.
However, just when you thought the situation couldn’t get any more bizarre, it did. The officials held yet another conference, and after about five minutes of dialoguing, they reversed the call and ruled the play an interception.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart melted down on the sidelines as Texas was given the ball at the Georgia 9-yard line. Two plays later, the Longhorns scored, making it 23-15, a two-score ballgame.
However, the massive momentum shift did not carry the Longhorns to victory. Despite two key Georgia defenders getting ejected from the game for targeting, Texas QB Quinn Ewers couldn’t get the offense back in the end zone again, and the Longhorns lost 30-15.